Madras HC sets target to clear pending cases

As the inauguration of Sesqui-centennial, celebrations of Madras high court, started in Chennai on Saturday, the Chief Justice of Madras HC, Justice M Y Iqbal, set-up two specific targets for the courts to reduce the pendency of the cases.

''We have 1.25 lakh cases pending in motor accident compensations act and 75,000 pending cases under the negotiable instrument act. Both of them will be reduced to Zero pendency by the time the celebrations come to an end,” Iqbal announced in the function.

He also announced that on the commemoration of 150 years, the state government of Tamil Nadu has passed an order to gift the staff of the judiciary by granting them one increment in their salaries.

On this occasion, Justice Altamas Kabir, Justice P. Sadhasivam, Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, Justice H. L. Gokhale, Justice S. J. Mukhopadhyaya all from Supreme court, and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla, Chief Justice, Jammu & Kashmir high court were present along with the Judges from the Madras high court. State Law Minister M. Paranjothi represented the Tamil Nadu government and spoke in the function.

The judges showed an immense concern at the rise of pendency at national level. Justice Altamas Kabir called this situation as a “Pressure cooker situation”. He said the alternative dispute resolution route could well act as the safety valves. He cited that the Mega lok adalats can be a means of reducing the number of pendency cases.

In his key note address, Justice P. Sadasivam remembered how evening courts were introduced here to reduce the pendency of the cases in 2007. He called it as a 'milestone in the history of judiciary' and said that it has proved to be a valuable tool in achieving timely justice and reducing pendency. Now the Madras high court tops in India in the rate of disposal of cases in India, he said.

On this occasion a special postal stamp was released by Shanthi Nayar, Chief Postmaster General, Tamil Nadu. Also in this function a plaque for a special commemorative arch was opened and a foundation stone for a new museum building was laid. A special logo for the celebrations was released and a special website was also inaugurated.

It has been also decided to keep at the entrance of the High court a name board of the Madras high court written in Tamil, the Chief Justice of Madras High Court announced.